Topping device for cane harvesters and the like



May 4 1926,

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original,v Filed May 12, 1919 f Mw .rml Tm W0. m rL J .M w ,a M. Q M

May 4 192s.

G. D. LUCE TOPPING DEVICE Fon CANE HAnvEs'rnRS AND Tun LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 12' 1919 "hum" f /wflvron $506950. L 005 afro/Mrs different lengths.

Patented -May 4, 1926.

. UNITED STAT GEORGE D. LUcE,`for HAMMOND, LoUIs1ANA,'AssIGNoE 'ro LUCECANEHARVESTER PATENT oFFicE;

CORPORATION,OF NEW'YORK, NQY., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE. 1

'roPrING DEvIoE EoEoANEHARvEsTERs AND THE LIKE.

original` application land May 1a, 1919, semi No..

In harvesting cane Aandipreparing the saine f for the mill, it is necessaryV to cut off the green tops of the cane and this' invention has for its object to provide means for toppingthe cane in an eficient manner. j More specifically the invention includes cutting knives b v means of which thetopping ofthe cane is leffectedby` a shearing action, and,l

which may be adjusted to act upon cane of The invention also includes means for bending the green tops of the cane with respect to the ripe portion thereofin suoli a manner that the cane will bey cut at the bent point, and means for properly presenting the cane to the bending and cutting means. A `j Other objects of lie in ventionaretoprovide a cane topping means whichjis simple in its construction positive in its operation, andwhich, in use, will Athrow the severed tops of the cane to one side .of the machine.

For the purposeof illustrating the inven- Y tion I have show'nitV as applied fto a har-l vester of the form disclosed in my cfa-pend-r ing application, Serial No. 296,539, filed May 12, 1919, of which the present ,applica-1v tion is a division. j

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this applicatiomand in which I have shown one preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrative of the principle thereof and the bestniode now known to ine for performing the same, y v

Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section and somewhat `=diagraminaticj in character, showing a harvester of the' type referred to, having the preferred form of the invention applied thereto; l I f Figure 2 is a side View of the topping devices; the topping fender being shown 4in vertical section; Figure 3 is a plan View of 296,529. Divided and this application irl'etlilrune 8,' ,1922. Serial 110.566,730.v i f, Y' f v the topping devices; Figurel: is .a ydetail; view in transverse section of .the fixed and.

revolving topping knives, showingthe shear action thereof.

Referring to the'` drawings, .the harvester has afranie 1 mounted on the'caterpillar tractor treads 2, and is provided with asinotor l3 Vfor propelling the apparatus and drivv ing thevarious mechanisms thereof. At the front ofthe machine are pick-up'chains 4 which gather in the cane and'liold it while itis ,cutl close to or below. Ythe level ofthe ground bythe rotary discv cutters 5, which in Figure 1 are shown raised totheir inop.- erative positions. llhen the cane Ahas been severed,lit is seized by conveyor vchains',V 6

and vconveyed upwardly and rearwardly v through they machine. the cane is thusconveyed, the butts engage theforward end of a traveling belt'or chain 7 Vwhich tilts the cane intona rearwardly inclinedpositiomiand the cane is supported in this positionl bythe engagement of the butts with the chain 7 and thefkelevator belt or chain 8.' Thefparts cf they machine thus far described are-more fullyfdescribed in my application-*above referred to.,

While the cane isbeing carried upwardly and rearwardlyv through thel machine,n the green tops are cut off bythe topping means whichfwill now befdescribed. The topping' ,knife frame 9 is preferably constructed as shown most clearly in Figures 2 .and 3, this frame being of a sortof yoke shape having two? arms'connected to a' body or basey at one end and being 4suitably mounted tol'have an'up and down adjustment.' As illustrated, the fraine9 is mounted on a rotatable screw threaded shaft 10 .attached to members of the main frame of the machinejand which is provided with .a squared upper ende 11v which may be engaged by arwrench" so that the screwy shaft may be turned to adjust the frame up or down. Journalled in 'bearingsV 12 `andl?! on the main framevis the topping knifesliaft 14 which is rapidly rotated by vpower Vfrom the motor of themachine. This shaft passes through-a bearing lonthe topping knife frame, and is' provided with a spline 16. The topping knife hub 17 is mounted-betwen the arms-of the topping Vknife frame and hasV .a feather litly slidable thereon and is capable of vertical adjustment with the frame 9 The hub 17 carries the revolving topping knife blades 18 which arepre-ferably of a cross section such as shown inr Figure 4i, each blade being sharpened at one edge 19 and havin-g a raised rib 2O along the back. Mounted on the lower arm of the frame 9, isr a fixed blade21 adapted t-o cooperate with the revolving blades 18 so that the latter will cut the cane with a shear action. The topping knife is revolved rapidly in the direction of theL arrow in Figure 3, and engages the cane as it is carried up by the conveyor chains and severs the green tops. The ribs 20 strike the tops as they are severed and throw them clear of the machine so .as to effectually prevent the tops from falling down into the conveyor chains and possibly tending to clog the machine. This is an important function and is very effectually performed by providing `ribs or raised members along the backs of the revolving knife blades. The frame 9 preferably carries a topping fender 22 which is adjustable up and down with the frame and' topping knife and which is struck by the tops of the canes as the latter are carried up by the conveyor chains. This fender servesu to ben-d overthe green tops so that the cane will' be topped. as near as possible at they point where it is bent, this point constituting the line of demarkation between the ripe cane which is comparatively stiff and the green top which is flexible.' The topping fender preferably extends substantially at right angles to the plane of revolution of the topping knife and to the conveyor chains, and transversely across the machine, as shown in Figure 3, and has a flange 23 extending forwardly a short distance at one side. As shown, in Figures 1 and 3' a vertical shield 24 may be mounted at one side of the path of travel of the cane up through the machine, and may be connected at its upper edge by a sliding joint 25 with the ilange23.' VThis shield, when used holds the cane away from the side of the machine where the operator stands and prevents .any tops from being thrown out in that direction. The revolving knife, owing to the projection on the back tends to throw the tops towards the opposite side of the machine and', if desired, a chute may be provided to receive the tops'and carry .them out of the way towards the back of the machine.

After thel cane has been topped it is stripped by the strippers 26, and is then dropped upon a traveling apron 27 which deposits it within a hopper 28, from which it 1s discharged in any suitable manner as by opening. the door 29 of the hopper at will'.

While I have illustrated and described in detail one preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited Vto the precise construction shown and described, but that I intend to cover my invention broadly in whatever form its principles may be employed. It is also to be understood that the invention may be used with other forms of apparatus than the particular harvester construction shown.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, conveying means for conveying the cane, a topping fender arranged transversely of the direction of movement of said conveying means and vadapted to bend over the cane tops, and a. revolving topping knife blade having a raised rib along the back thereof arranged adjacent said fender and adapted to sever the bent cane tops and throw them clear of the machine. Y

2. In a machine of the character described` a yoke shaped frame, means for adjustably K supporting said frame lfor up and down movement, a stationary cutter carried by said frame and a rotary cutter mounted between the arms of the frame andl adapted to cooperate with the stationary cutter to sever the cane tops with a shear action.

3. InV a machine of the character described, a frame, means for adjustably supporting said frame for up and down movement, a rotary cutter carried by the frame and a topping fender carried by the frame a-nd adapted to bend over the'canetops'prior to their severance.

4. In a machine of the character described, a revolving topping cutter revolubl'e in a plane transverse to the stalks to be cut and a topping fender mounted adjacent thereto in a position substantially para-llel to the axis of rotation of the cutter.

5. In a machine of the character described, conveying means for conveying' the cane, a topping cutter rotatable in a plane parallel to that of the movement o-f the conveying means and a topping fender arranged transversely of said plane adjacent to the cutter vand adapted to bend over the cane tops prior to their severance.

6. In a machine of the characterdescribed, the combination of conveyor chainsextending upwardly and rearwardly for conveying the cane in a standing position through' the machine, a topping cutter mounted abovelthe plane of the conveyor chains to rotate about an axis substantially vertical to said plane, and a topping fender located adjacent' said cutter and at an angle to the plane of rotas tion thereof and adapted to bend over the cane tops prior to their severance.

7. In a machine of the character described, rearwardly and upwardly inclined conveyor chains for conveying the cane through the machine in a standing position, a frame above said chains, yand means for adjustably c `the plane of the chains, anda topping fender carried by said frame and arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of the chains and extending, transversely above the line of travel of the conveying runs of the chains. t y

8. In a machine of the-character described, a screw threaded shaft, a yoke shaped topping knife frame carried thereby, a rotatable shaft and a rotary topping knife splined on said shaft and mounted between the arms of said frame. t

9. In a machine of the character described, a'screw threaded shaft, a yoke shaped top- 20 ping knife frame carried thereby,a rotatable shaft, a rotary topping knifesplined on said shaft and mounted between the arms of said frame, and a topping fender carried by said frame and adapted tol bend over the cane y tops prior to their severance.`

10. In a mach'ne of the character de-f scribed, the combination of rearwardly and upwardly inclined conveyor chains for conveying the cane through the machine, a revolving, topping knife located above the conveyor chains, a topping fender extending uptransversely across the direction of travel of the cane, and a shield extending forwardly from one side of the fender above vthe con` GEORGE n.V LUCE.V

`wardly and forwardly above the knife and V 

